Al Harrington has had time to contemplate it all, what with the staph infection that derailed his career and the one season with the Orlando Magic in which he barely got off the bench.

And as he has been waiting to learn of his new destination, with the Magic likely to either trade him or waive him sooner rather than later, the 33-year-old who swears he isn't done yet has had his views crystallized on today's NBA.

"Being in that situation in Orlando, you get a real good look at politics and stuff like that, the part of the game that's not attractive — just the business side of it," Harrington told USA TODAY Sports recently while training in Las Vegas. "One thing I realized is that it's not about how much you can play or what you can do on the court anymore. The game has become about (financial) numbers and salaries and stuff like that.

"It's not what you can do anymore. It's what you can do at that price. And everybody wants a deal, you know what I mean?"

He knows this, of course, because he's living proof of this new reality. With the implementation of a new collective bargaining agreement after the lockout in December of 2011, teams were forced to become more cost-conscious because of the significant increases in the luxury tax that, for most of the NBA, have created an unofficial hard salary cap. The Magic are hardly the only team looking to build their roster with contracts that are deemed efficient — productive players who come at a more reasonable cost.

Yet Harrington doesn't fit that bill at the moment. He's owed a combined $14.7 million for the next two seasons, and would be the Magic's second-highest paid player in the 2014-15 campaign if he were still with them by then. Yet because only half of his salary for both those seasons is guaranteed, the Magic are exploring trade options for him while also considering waiving him as a way to lessen the blow of his contract. Either way, he doesn't expect to be there for long.

Harrington, who was traded from Denver to Orlando as part of the four-team trade that sent Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers last summer, was never seen as part of the Magic's long-term plan. What's more, he was unable to contribute at the start, as a routine surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee went wrong in April 2012 when he suffered from a staph infection that served as a serious setback. One season after he'd been one of the best sixth men in the game for the Nuggets, he played in just 10 games for the Magic last season.

"I had to use a PICC line (used for intravenous therapy) to give myself medicine twice a day, and stuff like that," Harrington said of the infection. "It was a tough time. Probably the first week of it was the toughest, just not knowing really how sick you are and at that point you're not worried about your knee. You're worried about your life.

"I was very scared, just seeing how it broke my body down so fast. I had lost like 30 pounds, had rings around my eyes. I was looking bad."

He's looking good now, though. Harrington has been training with trainer Joe Abunassar at the Impact Academy in Las Vegas, and his game appears to have returned along with his health. His shooting and the respected veteran presence could surely help a contender.

"It's been hard work," Harrington, who gained all of his weight back and more last season, said of his road back. "I started on April 26. That's the day I got in the gym, and I've been in here ever since. I really had no time off, just been grinding and trying to lose the weight. I feel like the lighter I am the more pressure I take off my knee, you know what I mean? So that was the focus behind losing the weight, and then just being strong.

"I've lost 27 pounds. I'm on my way down. I had to do it, and I'm focused. I've got a lot left in the tank. I'm only 33 years old, and people act like I'm 40. I'm just excited about getting back out there on the court and showing everybody. For me, this year I'm going to have a chip on my shoulder, so if I play like that I'm going to be tough to deal with."

Despite averaging 20.7 points as a starter for the New York Knicks five seasons ago, Harrington wants to return to the super-sub role he played so well with the Nuggets. He averaged 14.2 points and 27.5 minutes per game for the Nuggets in 2011-12 while finishing fourth in NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award voting. No matter what he's being paid or whom he's playing for, Harrington is looking forward to competing again.

"I want to win, so I'll put it like this: I want to go to a situation where I can compete to make the playoffs," he said. "I'm too old to play for nothing. When I was younger, of course you play for stats and you want to be good, but I'm not going to be a Hall of Famer or nothing like that, so I want to win. I just want to win.

"Whatever situation I can get to where I can help a team win, that's what I want to do. I don't want to play 36 minutes or none of that. Play 20, 25 minutes, just help mentor the young guys and stuff like that."

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We've got plenty of player movement. Brandon Jennings and J.J. Redick are no longer Bucks, and more. USA TODAY Sports' Sean Highkin ranks the top 20 free agents for this offseason, and we discuss where they landed.
Jerome Miron, USA TODAY Sports

1. Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers point guard. CP3 ended his free agency July 1, agreeing to a five-year, $107 million deal with the Clippers. Paul can opt out of the final year of the contract.
Spruce Derden, USA TODAY Sports

7. Al Jefferson, Utah Jazz center. Jefferson's rebounding and ability to play both frontcourt positions made him one of the most attractive big men on the market, so the Bobcats gave him a three-year, $41 million deal.
Russ Isabella, USA TODAY Sports

8. Jeff Teague, Atlanta Hawks point guard. A lightning-quick guard with a knack for creative passing, Teague signed a four-year, $32 million offer sheet with the Bucks but will stay with the Hawks after Atlanta matched the restricted free agent's deal.
Howard Smith, USA TODAY Sports

9. Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee Bucks point guard. The Bucks decided against paying Jennings, so they sent him to the Pistons in a sign-and-trade deal worth three years and $24 million to Jennings.
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11. Andrew Bynum, Philadelphia 76ers center. If healthy, Bynum is a top-five center. Unfortunately, "if healthy" is a pretty big caveat these days for a player who missed all of 2012-13. He signed a two-year deal with the Cavaliers.
Howard Smith, USA TODAY Sports

13. Kevin Martin, Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard. Martin filled in ably for James Harden after the Thunder's blockbuster trade. One season later, Martin and the Timberwolves reached a four-year deal that could be worth up to $30 million.
Troy Taormina, USA TODAY Sports

15. J.J. Redick, Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard. Redick is durable, versatile, a great shooter, a good passer and a solid defender — in other words, the ideal target for any team looking for a sixth man. The Clippers landed him for four years and $27 million in a sign-and-trade.
Douglas Jones, USA TODAY Sports

17. Monta Ellis, Milwaukee Bucks guard. Ellis can shoot his team into a game or out of it. The Mavericks signed him to a three-year, $28 million contract, USA TODAY Sports' Sam Amick reported.
Jeff Hanisch, USA TODAY Sports

18. Corey Brewer, Denver Nuggets swingman. Brewer proved himself a solid defender and scorer off the bench and should help the Timberwolves, with whom he signed for three years and $15 million.
Chris Humphreys, USA TODAY Sports

19. Tyreke Evans, Sacramento Kings guard. The former rookie of the year has had a few disappointing seasons in Sacramento, but like O.J. Mayo, he may simply need a change of scenery. He landed a four-year, $44 million deal with the Pelicans via trade.
Brett Davis, USA TODAY Sports

20. Nate Robinson, Chicago Bulls guard. A terrific year —more importantly, a terrific playoffs — wasn't enough to encourage any team to overpay Robinson, but he agreed to a two-year deal worth a combined $4.03 million with the Nuggets.
Ed Szczepanski, USA TODAY Sports